Search

The Biodiversity and Natural Areas Committee of the Indiana Academy of Science organizes a 24 hr biodiversity survey, or bioblitz, each summer. In 2019 the Academy of Science held a bioblitz at the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ Ministry Center, in Marshall County (north-central Indiana) on June 29 and June 30. This survey brought together 14 taxonomic teams and an aqueous geochemistry team. The survey resulted in 983 species being recorded across the various taxa. Keywords: bioblitz, Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ, state records, INTRODUCTION The Indiana Academy of Science (IAS) conducted its 2019 biodiversity survey at the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ Ministry Center, Marshall County, Indiana. This survey brought together 36 scientists [...]

The Indiana Academy of Science and Indy Parks and Recreation hosted a biodiversity survey ('bioblitz') at Eagle Creek Park, Marion County, during June 2-3, 2018. Sixty-seven scientists and naturalists attended the event to survey 16 different taxa plus water quality and geochemistry. Teams focused on enumerating the number of species seen within the aquatic macroinvertebrates, bees, beetles, birds, bryophytes, carrion flies, fish, fungi, hemipterans, herpetofauna, lepidoptera, singing insects, snail-killing flies, spiders, and vascular plants. The hydrology of the park was also described. In total the survey found 862 taxa. The influence of water quality upon the aquatic macroinvertebrates was examined with redundancy analysis performed upon streams in the park. This analysis did not find a significant link between the water conditions and the aquatic macroinvertebrate community, but this may be the result of low statistical power. Complete lists of the taxa found are available at the Indiana Academy of Science website (https://www. indianaacademyofscience.org/, Resource Center | Bioblitz Events and Data | Eagle Creek Bioblitz). Keywords: Bioblitz, biodiversity survey, Eagle Creek Park, Indiana, state records, INTRODUCTION The Indiana Academy of Science held a biodiversity survey ('bioblitz') within Marion County, Indiana at Eagle Creek Park during June 2-3,2018. This was the second such bioblitz that the [...]

Eagle Marsh, a 289.8 ha (716-acre) wetland nature preserve located on the southwest border of Fort Wayne, Indiana, is one of the largest wetland restorations ever undertaken in Indiana. The Little River Wetlands Project (LRWP) began acquisition, planning, and restoration in 2005 to 2007. The first biodiversity survey (also known as a bioblitz) of Eagle Marsh was conducted on 31 May and 1 June 2014. Over 125 scientists, naturalists, students, and other volunteers on thirteen different taxonomic teams observed and reported 728 taxa during the event. The thirteen taxonomic teams included aquatic macroinvertebrates, beetles, birds, butterflies, dragonflies and damselflies, fish, freshwater mussels, herpetofauna, small mammals, mushrooms/fungi, singing insects, snail-killing flies, and vascular plants. This manuscript presents both a brief history of Eagle Marsh and a summary overview of the results gathered by the thirteen taxonomic teams. Keywords: Bioblitz, biodiversity survey, Eagle Marsh, state-endangered, county records, INTRODUCTION Eagle Marsh, a 716-acre wetland nature preserve, is located on the southwest border of Fort Wayne, Indiana (Fig. 1). The wetland preserve has over 11 miles of trails allowing [...]

INTRODUCTION Conner Prairie is an interactive history park or a 'living museum.' Located 6 km north of Indianapolis in Fishers, Indiana, the 850 acres that presently comprise Conner Prairie have [...]

The term 'BioBlitz' was coined by Susan Rudy, a U.S. National Park Service naturalist, while helping to organize the first BioBlitz held at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, Washington D.C. from May [...]

Abstract Background BioSense is the US national automated biosurveillance system. Data regarding chief complaints and diagnoses are automatically pre-processed into 11 broader syndromes (e.g., respiratory) and 78 narrower sub-syndromes (e.g., asthma). The objectives of this report are to present the types of illness and injury that can be studied using these data and the frequency of visits for the syndromes and sub-syndromes in the various data types; this information will facilitate use of the system and comparison with other systems. Methods For each major data source, we summarized information on the facilities, timeliness, patient demographics, and rates of visits for each syndrome and sub-syndrome. Results In 2008, the primary data sources were the 333 US Department of Defense, 770 US Veterans Affairs, and 532 civilian hospital emergency department facilities. Median times from patient visit to record receipt at CDC were 2.2 days, 2.0 days, and 4 hours for these sources respectively. Among sub-syndromes, we summarize mean 2008 visit rates in 45 infectious disease categories, 11 injury categories, 7 chronic disease categories, and 15 other categories. Conclusions We present a systematic summary of data that is automatically available to public health departments for monitoring and responding to emergencies.

A new species of crayfish, Orconectes ( Crockerinus) alluvius, is described from headwater streams of the Crawford Upland and Mitchell Plain in southwestern Indiana. It occurs in small- to medium-sized sandy streams associated with leaf litter and woody debris. Orconectes ( C.) alluvius can be distinguished from other species in the subgenus Crockerinus Fitzpatrick, 1987 by a combination of the following characters. First pleopod of form I male with weakly developed shoulder on cephalic surface at base of central projection; central projection corneous, constituting 18.9-32.5% ( X̄ = 24.5%, n = 59, SD = 3.39) of total length of first pleopod, straight for most of length with a slight lateral curve at tip; cephalic margins of central projection feature impressed longitudinal striations distally on both mesial and lateral margins; mesial projection non-corneous with a slight outward bend near middle, ending in a flattened tip that is wider than the tip of the central projection; length of mesial projection subequal to length of central projection. The areola is wide, ratio 3.7-6.8 times of width to areola length, abdomen shorter than the thorax, and narrow chelae width. Mesial palm of chelae with three rows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]